The School
by Lynn Wilson
Summary: ^_^ Real old fic, I pulled out of the figurative attic. A college prepatory school accepts Marco...will he go?
1. 1

I know I shouldn't have even applied, but at the time it had caused everyone the greatest amount of happiness. "But Dad," I said looking towards my father, "I CAN'T go."  
  
Author's Thingamabobs:  
  
So I pulled this story out of the figurative attic, and thought I'd share it with everyone. Just because I haven't written any anifiction for so long that I had a hankering, if you know what I mean. No spoilers for any of the later books, which is nice, I'm sure. Well. Not really, Because that means you haven't gotten to read the last books yet....*stops herself* Anyways, not mine. None of it. Not making money. (Thats a disclaimer, right? ^_~)  
  
The School --Part One  
  
"Would you like to tell me why not? This school is a great oppurtunity for you."  
  
I would like to tell my dad why not, and maybe I could some day. But not this day. M y name is Marco, and you already know I can't tell you my last name. And you know the reason I can't go off to boarding school, no matter how much of a 'great oppurtunity' it is for me.  
  
"Would you let me think about, please??" I asked, heading towards the playstation.  
  
"Alright, but I would really like you to seriosly consider it. This school..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, would be a great oppurtunity for me." I flipped the on switch and began beating the computer at football. What have I gotten myself into, I thought as I scored another touchdown.  
  
"What have you gotten yourself into?" Jake's words echoed my thoughts as we walked toward school.  
  
"Chill out man...I applied to please my father, it was after my mom...before..."  
  
Jake looked at me all serious. "So?"  
  
"So, what?" I asked shrugging. "No way I can go. Have to stay and save the world."  
  
"Marco. This school could be really good for you."  
  
"And the rest of mankind?"  
  
"Marco. Maybe you should go. Maybe..."  
  
"What? And bail out on you guys. No way man, no way."  
  
No way was I going to leave my friends to fight the Yeerks alone, while I wasted my time at some college prepatory school. No way was I going to abadon the fight, abadon the fact that my mom might still be....no way.  
  
"I know I'm always saying how insane this stuff is...but I couldn't leave you guys to..."  
  
"Why don't we talk about it afterschool. Cassie's? Alright?"  
  
I nodded and walked off towards class. On the way I smiled and attempted to flirt with a pretty girl. For some reason, she seemed to be able to resist my beauty and charm, and walked away from me. Oh well, I wasn't really into it today anyways.  
  
I sat through classes without my usual repotoire of witty comments. My math teacher even asked me if I was okay. I laughed inwardly at that. I told him about the school, I'm not sure why. Probably because I'd asked him for a recommendation earlier that year. I got another speech about 'great oppurtunities' from him.  
  
I wasn't looking forward to the meeting at Cassie's barn. Of course, one could rarely look forward to going to the place where they planned their own demise on a regular basis, but this time was different.  
  
After school I headed out back to morph and fly to Cassie's. I spotted what I thought was Rachel in the air on my why there.  
  
Rachel? I thought-spoke to the eagle.  
  
Either it was a real bald eagle, or she was just ignoring me. Typical Rachel.  
  
When I reached the barn, Ax, Tobias and Cassie were already there. I demorphed back to human and said hi.  
  
"Congratulations!"Cassie yelled, looking as if she were going to burst.  
  
"Thanks," I muttered looking towards the ground.  
  
Rachel and Jake flew in next, an eagle and a falcon. "Alright," Jake said as he finished demorphing, putting on his 'down to business' face.  
  
"We have to decide what's best for Marco and the group."  
  
"I think that's easy," I jumped in. "I stay, and we continue like we have been."  
  
"Marco's right, for once," Rachel said. "We can't break up the group, it's too dangerous. Besides, if I'm not around to keep him from doing something stupid, who else would have enough patience to do it?"  
  
"Yeah, and who'd be here to keep Xena from killing everyone?" I countered.  
  
Cassie looked at us. "We're not going to be able to stay together forever, it won't be long until we have to face the decision of college. It's not about the war this time, it's about Marco. And I think this school would be..."  
  
"Don't say it!" I shouted. "I know, a great oppurtunity!"  
  
This is a human matter. Ax said plainly.  
  
We need Marco. Tobias said. It's that simple.  
  
"I agree with Cassie," Jake said. "This about Marco. Not the war, not the Yeerks. Cassie is right, we can't stay together forever."  
  
"Alright," I said, "we can't stay together forever. But I am NOT going to bail on you guys. I'm just not."  
  
"There is one person we're not asking," Cassie said gently. "Marco, do you want to go to this school?"  
  
"I won't. I can't do that to you guys."  
  
"But do you want to?" Cassie prompted.  
  
"I don't know. I've never even been there."  
  
"Then why don't you go visit. You can do that, right? It's not that far from here, if we needed you, we'd no where to find you."  
  
"Well, there is a Visit Weekend coming up. That's where enrolled students stay with students who've been there. I would only be gone a weekend."  
  
It was a good idea. I wanted to visit the school, but was afraid that I'd like it enough to want to stay.  
  
"Alright. Sounds good," Jake said. "We should all go home," enjoy a nice afternoon to ourselves. It might be awhile before the next."  
  
  
  
  
  
I waved good-bye to Jake as my Dad and I headed off to see the school. It was about two hours away and we had to be there by 8, it was 6 a.m. and I was tired. I kind of ignored my dad's attempt at communication and dozed.  
  
"You know son, I'm glad you decided to give this school a chance. It could be good for you," I heard my dad say as we pulled in and I began to wake up. All around other kids were getting out with their families, carrying enough supplies for a weekend trip.  
  
"Where are you going to stay?" I asked my dad, as I sleepily pulled my duffel bag out of the trunk.  
  
"At a motel, here in town, I'll give you the number in case you need to call me."  
  
My dad scratched something on a piece of paper and handed it to me. I stuffed it my jeans pocket and followed the huge signs with "Visit Weekend-this way" inscribed on them in huge letters.  
  
We reached the school, the kids stayed in what used to be a college dorm, and that was our first stop. At the door, the parents went to a parent orientation and we went to meet our weekend hosts, I hugged my dad awkwardly, promised to call him sometime tonight and went to meet my host, Ben.  
  
"You Ben?" I said to one kid with dark hair, with a nametag clearly labeled,'Scott.'  
  
"What do you thik?" he answered, testily.  
  
"Whoa, just kidding around, chill man." Finally I noticed a frail guy with long blonde hair and thick glasses standing towards the back. His nametag label stated: 'Ben'.  
  
"Hiya Ben, I'm Marco, and it looks like we get to be roomies for a weekend." Ben looked at me disgustedly.  
  
"Yes, I am Ben. And you will be staying in my room for a weekend. But that doesn't make you my 'roomie', and I would appreciate if you would not speak to me unless absolutely necessary."  
  
"Jeesh, you people need to lighten up."  
  
Ben pointedly ignored me, and began walking away. I followed him, assuming he was leading to where I was going to stay for a weekend. I shrugged, deciding right then and there, that this place was not for me. But I'd come for the weekend, so I'd stay for the weekend.  
  
Ben walked down a hallway lined with doors and opened one. "This is my room. Where you will be staying. You can sleep on the unused bed in the corner. I have to go to class, now. If you consult your schedule, you will see where you need to be next. Be sure to close the door and turn off the light when you leave. And if you make a mess, you will clean it up." Ben walked off.  
  
"Hey! Get some sleep in class or something, you're seriously cranky!" I shouted after him. He just kept walking.  
  
"Great," I muttered as I sat on the hard bed Ben had indicated was mine. "This weekend's going to be blast, I can tell already." I threw my duffel on the bed and looked at the schedule. Fifteen minutes to head back to the entrance area for general orientation. It only took about two to get to the room, so I figured I had time to find a bathroom.  
  
The bathrooms were public, and I learned that there was one on every floor from a guy passing by. I headed in the direction he pointed. He seemed as icy as Ben. What is this, I thought, a school full of people who never have fun? And then I learned the answer, in the entrance of the bathroom, something a normal person wouldn't even give a second glance to, was a Yeerk pool.  
  
Another kid walked in smiling. "You here for the weekend?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah? How'd you know?"  
  
"Lucky guess."  
  
"That's some strange plumbing they got there, huh?"  
  
"You have no idea." I muttered.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
I walked out of there, my blood racing, my heart pounding. This place was practically Yeerk heaven. 'The Brightest Kids in *****" was the school motto, kids away from home, no one to notice they were different, no one to hide from. Recruitment of kids who were going to be in positions of power, before they had any power to stop them.  
  
I didn't know what to do, but I knew I had to warn the others... 


	2. 2

1 Authors Notes:  
  
2 D'oh. So, I thought I had this fic done when I pulled it out of its attic. And realizes that this was all I had of it. I'm not sure where to go next. Probably something with the Yeerks finding out. I don't know. Suggestions always welcome. ^_^  
  
3 Lynn  
  
4  
  
5  
  
6 The School-- Part 2  
  
"The Yeerks are coming, the Yeerks are coming!" I yelled at the top of lungs. I didn't care who heard me; I wanted everyone to hear me. "THE YEERKS ARE COMING!" I yelled as loudly as I could.  
  
I ran and ran and ran, through town, to school running, running. I saw Mr. Chapman. I looked at him, grabbed his shirt. "THE YEERKS ARE COMING!" I yelled.  
  
Chapman looked at me with hate in his eyes; his hand drew back…  
  
"Wake up." I felt a hand shoving me.  
  
I woke up looking at Ben. "Uh…I was just having a nightmare, I guess."  
  
"Yeah. I know," Ben said.  
  
"I guess I'm just homesick," I answered rolling onto my side on the spare bed.  
  
The rest of the day after the Yeerk pool had been awful for me. I couldn't concentrate and had walked through it half-dazed. I guess the night wasn't planning on being much better than the rest of the day.  
  
"You were talking in your sleep," Ben said matter-of-factly. I felt the blood drain out of my face.  
  
"What was I saying?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.  
  
"It sounded like you were re-enacting Paul Revere or something. Now shut up and let me sleep, okay? I don't care if you have nightmares, just have them quietly."  
  
"Fine." I said, trying not to make the relief evident in my voice. I got out of bed and headed for the hall bathroom. Being careful to ignore the Yeerk pool in the corner, I splashed some water on my face and went to the bathroom.  
  
Then I sat down on the floor, outside the bathroom and tried to slow my breathing. That was close. Too close. Now I had a couple of good reasons not to go to this school, anyways. I knew I could convince my friends, and I didn't think my dad would make me go unless I wanted to. But still, the school existed and we should do something about it.  
  
Tomorrow was Saturday and I was going home Sunday, I didn't figure one more day would hurt. Then I could let everyone know what was going on here.  
  
  
  
"I don't think I'd like it here," I told my dad the instant we were on the road headed for home.  
  
"I don't know, it sounded like a good place for you. You've seem distracted for quite some time now, this place would help you focus your priorities."  
  
Priorities. Right, my dad talking about priorities. I wanted to ask him what his priorities had been after Mom died, after he remarried. I know he didn't know that Mom still had a chance of being alive, but I still resented his 'betrayal' of her.  
  
I just sat there silently, I didn't want to deal with this subject again. I felt I had been getting over it, but my thoughts proved I was still hung-up over it. Of course there was more chance of my mom being dead now, but that also meant the death of Visser One.  
  
I changed the subject to something light and talked and joked with my dad the rest of the way home.  
  
"So, how was it," Jake was waiting for me when Dad and I got home. I shook my oh -so- beautiful head slightly.  
  
"Not the place for me, we were getting together to study tonight?" I asked him with a look.  
  
"Yep. My house?"  
  
I nodded. "Let me tell my dad."  
  
Jake and I morphed birds and headed towards Cassie's barn as soon I had cleared our "study session" with my father. He'd had this crazy idea that after being gone all weekend, I'd desperately just want to stay home. He was right, but saving the world had to come first, as usual.  
  
What's wrong? Jake asked me, on our way.  
  
I wish I could sigh as a bird, poor Tobias. I'll tell you when I tell everyone else. Just keep in mind, this is bad.   
  
You wanting to 'study' is generally a sign of bad.   
  
"So, that's the issue." Everyone stared at me as I finished talking. "What you don't believe me?"  
  
"Well...you're SURE it was a Yeerk pool?" Jake questioned.  
  
"Trust me. I'm sure," I answered, a bit frustrated. Here I was trying to do my part and Jake didn't believe me.  
  
"Oh, I believe you all right. And I think we need to go in there and do some damage, destroy the school," you guessed it, Rachel said.  
  
"Whoa, whoa," Jake looked at me, then at Rachel. "We need to check this out. See EXACTLY what's going on."  
  
"Maybe," Cassie said, wiping her hands on her overalls. She had just been feeding some of the animals. "Maybe, we should leave this alone? I mean, we have enough problems at the moment, this seems like a very long term strategy..."  
  
"We have to do what we can. When we can. If we destroy this, it will be a blow against the yeerks!" Rachel was getting angry.  
  
They'll wonder how we knew about this. That could cause problems. Tobias's thought speak voice caused me to glance at the rafters.  
  
"Look," Jake said, his voice heavy. "Rachel is right, we have to do what we can. Tobias, Ax, tomorrow I want you to learn what you can. We can meet back here tomorrow night. After school, Rachel, Cassie, and I can go talk to Erek and see if he knows anything about this. Marco, you learn what you can from the school's literature and things you got from them. For now, let's all get some sleep, all right?"  
  
I hadn't told Jake about my dream. About my nightmare, I could only assume Ben hadn't heard anything. But I wanted to be sure. I needed to know, for myself. If they knew I didn't want my friends poking around this school. So after getting home, instead of going to sleep, I went bird. I went bird and flew towards the school. 


	3. 3

Authors Notes Thingers: Right, I am back. This one isn't as long as the others, it's a bit of an experiment. Tell me what you think, and I might keep things in Ben's POV for a few parts. Thanks for the reviews, I need them to inspire me to write more now, especially since I realized this wasn't finished, like I thought it was. ^_^  
  
The School--Part Three  
  
A slug lived in my brain. Now, as a bona-fide, one hundred percent certified GEEK, I have done a lot of role playing in my time. In some twisted part of myself, I was excited about being sucked into a real-life RPG. Until of course, I realized it wasn't a game. My name is Ben, and I imagine you believe me to be crazy at this point. I am not. Allow me to inform you that I am perfectly sane, and that your world is what is not. Your world is infested by parasitic slugs that call themselves Yeerks. They take over the human brain, like Frenrack 216 of the Sulp Niar Pool did to me. He entered through my ear canal, shortly after I had arrived at the Academy.  
  
At first it seemed like a dream come true, I was living out one of my biggest fantasies. Well, except that I was no longer in control of my actions. Any of them. And when they took my family, I realized then, that this was not a fantasy. This was not a dream; this was not a game. It all changed over one Visit Weekend. A young man by the name of Marco was staying in my room. Now, I must admit here that this boy seemed like the type I might be annoyed by on my own, but Frenrack disliked him beyond belief.  
  
The Yeerk walked my body to class, and sat down and forced me to look like I was paying attention to the lecture. It was a discussion on Newtonian physics and post-modernism, so of course I was interested. I may as well learn what I can while stuck with this Yeerk, I thought.  
  
Why bother? he sneered at me mentally. You think you are so smart, and yet you couldn't keep me out. Your 'logic' has yet to lead you to a solution for this problem.  
  
I didn't bother to try and hide my lowering self-esteem from him. He knew about it, played on it. He knew which buttons to press, because my brain was like a map for him. He had gone on and on about how I was worth more as human being with him inside me, I would never be able to procreate without him, because no girl would ever want to be near me. His discussions of my insecurities regularly made it complicated to plan escape.  
  
Humph. You know there is no escape. Nothing you can do. I don't control you, I AM you.  
  
I simply ignored him, and attempted to hear what Professor Ganglin was saying. Except I couldn't ignore him. He was right. There was very little point in continuing to learn. I would never be in control of my own actions again. I pushed my emotions back, trying to stay logically, only to have a flow of them surface again. I hated this Yeerk, I was helpless. Useless, except as a body, to be used however they saw fit. Logic, logic, I told myself.  
  
Useless logicFrenrack taunted.  
  
Useless logic. I wondered to myself.  
  
  
  
Frenrack had heard about the Andalite Bandits of course. Just about every Yeerk involved in the earth project had, I'm sure. And at this point, many of the lesser Yeerks had their doubts about these "Andalites" identity. Mine was one of them. Which was unfortunate when the boy Marco began screaming in his sleep.  
  
"The Yeerks are coming!" I heard him shout. I tried to stay asleep, but Frenrack moved my body over to the bed and told the boy to shut up. Inside my head he was absolutely giddy.  
  
I bet he's one of them. One of the "Andalite" bandits, in morph...or not  
  
I sighed, well. I mentally sighed, only Frenrack could make my body sigh. Perhaps he just heard the word from a friend, perhaps is already one of you, you are jumping to conclusionsI told him, my thought voice dripping with logic.  
  
We'll see...useless boy, we'll see.  
  
I wished right then, more than I ever had that I could warn the boy, Marco. Just in case...just in case. Frenrack closed my eyes and chuckled to himself.  
  
Thought you said I was jumping to conclusions?  
  
I also wished I could groan. 


	4. 4

A/N: Well. I didn't mean to introduce a new character. But oops. I did. Well, we will all see what happens soon as I get the next part up. Trying to keep the PG rating too. Gack. Thanks for the reviews all, as usual, any suggestions are my friend.  
  
~Lynn  
  
  
  
I was sweating. Drips of it poured down my face. Perhaps however, it would be more appropriate to say that Frenrash was sweating. I still felt the sweat, and smelled it unfortunately. I also felt the exhaustion he was causing my body. I/he was running, and I/had been running for the last hour. I tried to concentrate on something besides my aching joints, my burning lungs and my dry, sore mouth and throat. However, Frenrash kept things at the front of my mind. I would not refer to it as his mind. It was the one thing that was still mine. I still had my mind.  
  
You'd like to think that.he laughed at me, and began to sift through my memories. He went through my memories of the boy, Marco. Short, dark hair, annoying. Screaming about Yeerks. I noted he seemed to have some Hispanic ancestry. Frenrash dismissed that information.  
  
We're going to talk to Melfank, she'll know how to proceed.Frenrash seemed to delight in informing me.  
  
I don't know who this is, but it seems to me, you should contact the Yeerk Pool.I wondered why I was giving him advice. Did I want him to succeed? Perhaps I just didn't want him to get my body killed.  
  
And hand this news to the Yeerk above me? On a silver platter. I think not. This will be my glory. Mine and my sisters. I would have rolled my eyes at his dreams of conquest and victory and rising in the Yeerk Empire. Except of course, I could no longer roll my eyes.  
  
Out of the corner of our eyes, we spotted the owl again. Frenrash was giddy. He was certain that this was an "Andalite Bandit" following him. He always managed to add the quotations to the term with his thought speak voice. And in my mind, he found the information that this type of owl was very rare in these parts. I hated myself for having so much information, not for the first time, mind you. But I hated myself more this time. If this was one of them, they were on my side. The last thing I wanted to do was give him or her away. Admittedly, I did not have a lot of control over what /I/ did or did not do anymore.  
  
  
  
Finally, Frenrash quit running and flung my body down on a park bench. We had run to one of the seedier parts of town. We had had to sneak out of school, because of course Frenrash didn't want the other Yeerks to know what he was up to. I imagined myself sneaking out of school, going of to play Dungeons and Dragons with several friends, meeting a girl who like to role-play. It could have been that way, I thought. Frenrash constructed his own fantasy of handing the Andalite Bandits to Visser Three. I preferred mine.  
  
I/he started when an old man came, practically out of the bushes. I started to figure up this old man'' stealth score in my head. I couldn't help it, thinking about role-playing caused me to miss it.  
  
Be useful, host he snapped at me. He directed my/his eyes towards the man. He was so tall, and old and gnarly. I imagined he could be a wizard. A wizard to rescue me from this slug in my brain. He was dressed, however, not in wizard's robes, but in rags. Something that used to be a sweatshirt and jeans, I presumed. And a baseball cap. A Cubs cap, to be specific.  
  
So. Mr. Logical. Who is this?  
  
I can only assume this is whom you came here to meet. Or it might be a homeless man. I wanted to glare at him. And then the man did something amazing. He hit me/us.  
  
"Sorry, man," I heard him whisper under his breath. "But, I know you're dying to thank me."  
  
ANDALITE! Frenrash screamed, before his/my frail and now exhausted body gave out. 


End file.
